It levers your intellectual capital (the culmination of your ideas and thinking).

It moves the power from the top to the centre (if you let it).

It is inspirational.

It gives you a cutting edge or at least it helps you define your unremarkable sector.

Of course for most firms these ideas will be far too ethereal. Those Managing Partners who even know of the term will not be interested unless they understand the direct line of sight between time expended, WIP and fees billed.

My advice: turn it off now before it does more harm than good.

Focus on your people.

Let me repeat.

FOCUS ON YOUR PEOPLE.

Don’t explore social media out of intrigue. You have to accept, even through irrational blindness, that it is here to stay and more than that if allowed to flourish it will forever change your firm.

Current world:

We control things around here.

New world:

They control things here.

My advice is to start small but with a mindset that says we are willing to let go. Fear will always be present but accept that if the US Navy and Airforce or the UK Government can do so, then there is no reason, accept those that you create, that should stop you engaging.

Unlearn what you know.

Adopt the new paradigm across the firm and don’t think you will have all the answers to begin with.

Don’t bug, beg or buy attention. Earn it.

Make sure that you give something away for FREE.

And I don’t mean free time. I mean your ideas. May be not 100% of them but enough to get you noticed.

Professional practice is in a state of flux. Don’t wait for things to be forced upon you. See social media as way to get your message out to your fans, and persuade them of the reasons why your firm is remarkable.

And most of all, enjoy the ride. Yes I know that sounds like a line from Easy Rider but social media shouldn’t be a seen as a chore or distraction. It is a game changer pure and simple.